By: Edwin Gogu/0555588660
Hon. Alhaji Yusif Sulemana, Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and Member of Parliament for Bole-Bamboi, has underscored that the media remain indispensable partners in Ghanaโs ongoing review of the 2014 Mining Policy and proposed legal amendments in Peduase – Aburi in the Eastern Region on 1st September, 2025.
Representing the substantive Minister, Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, who is on an official assignment in Australia, Hon. Sulemana delivered the message during the ninth phase of stakeholder engagements organized by the Minerals Commission with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) in Accra.
He emphasized that the mediaโs involvement in the consultative process is critical to ensuring transparency, inclusivity, and public ownership of the mining reforms
โIt is not possible to identify stakeholders in this country without including the media. At Lands and Natural Resources, and particularly at the Minerals Commission, we acknowledge that your role in facilitating our work is enormous. That is why we have invited you to be part of this important journey of amending our mining laws,โ he said.
Hon. Sulemana traced the historical evolution of Ghanaโs mining laws, from colonial-era concessions that favoured foreign interests, through post-independence policies prioritizing national ownership, to the liberalization under the 1980s Economic Recovery Programme. He cited major legislative milestones, including the Minerals and Mining Law (1986), the Minerals and Mining Amendment Act (2015), and the Mineral Development Fund Act (2016), which introduced a 10% free carried interest for the state in mining leases and enabled mining communities to receive direct benefits.
He noted that the current review seeks to update the legal framework to reflect contemporary challenges, address policy gaps, and strike a sustainable balance among investor interests, environmental protection, and socio-economic development:
โWe started somewhere and have made significant progress, but the time has come to take a second look at our laws. The amendments we are proposing must reflect todayโs challenges and aspirations. That is why your contributions as media practitioners are vital so that the final document will be owned by all of us, not a selected few.โ
Hon. Sulemana formally declared the session open, commended the leadership of the Ghana Journalists Association, and assured participants of the governmentโs commitment to a transparent, participatory, and impactful consultation process.
